Synopsis
Mary and Joseph make the hard journey to Bethlehem for a blessed event in this retelling of the Nativity story. This meticulously researched and visually lush adaptation of the biblical tale follows the pair on their arduous path to their arrival in a small village, where they find shelter in a quiet manger and Jesus is born.
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Cast
- Keisha Castle-HughesMary
- Oscar IsaacJoseph
- Hiam AbbassAnna
- Shaun ToubJoachim
- Ciarán HindsHerod
- Shohreh AghdashlooElisabeth
- Stanley TownsendZechariah
- Alexander SiddigThe Angel Gabriel
- Nadim SawalhaMelchior
- Ériq EbouaneyBalthasar
Recommendations
- 80
The Hollywood Reporter
Unfolds in a scrupulously accurate historical adventure story that depicts the world of Jesus' birth with an exciting you-are-there verisimilitude. - 75
Chicago Tribune
The Nativity Story surprised me. I didn't expect such an obvious art film approach. Yet the Bible, in the King James version, is great English literature. - 70
The New York Times
At its best, The Nativity Story shares with "Hail Mary" an interest in finding a kernel of realism in the old story of a pregnant teenager in hard times. Buried in the pageantry, in other words, is an interesting movie. - 60
Village Voice
There are a few quietly affecting scenes here, in which we see Mary and Joseph as the terribly frightened newlyweds they probably were, unsure of what to make of their extraordinary circumstances. But too often, the actors register as little more than set dressing and, despite Hardwicke's resolve to give us the realNativity as we've never seen it before, much of the movie smacks of convention. - 58
Christian Science Monitor
It's a rather lifeless re-telling of the Nativity, with greeting-card imagery and stiff performances. - 58
The A.V. Club
A filmed Sunday-school lesson that favors a dry, by-the-Book approach over even a suggestion of dramatic interpretation. It's more Christmas pageant than movie. - 50
Variety
Memories of dreary Sunday school classes come flooding back courtesy of The Nativity Story. - 50
ReelViews
As a piece of religious instruction or an animated version of a crèche, it accomplishes its aims. As a movie, however, it's slow, plodding, and not terribly interesting.
